Independence
by Astrid Goes For A Spin
Summary: Subtlety, a dark colored dragon, and a thunderstorm...all valuable weapons in punishing Snotlout for hurting Hiccup and disrupting Astrid's bath...at the same time.
1. Chapter 1

**Despite the rocky beginning, stick with me, it'll be worth it. =) **

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><p>Something that Astrid appreciated about Hiccup was that he bathed more often than the average Viking, which was once a week. After working out with her axe, beads of moisture would line her face and drip down her hairline, and after rolling in the dirt to avoid an invisible opponent or sliding under an imaginary blow into mud, she hated the feel of dirt and grime, and immediately had to clean off – she couldn't tolerate it either on her own skin or someone else's.<p>

Now, after a vicious swordfight with Ruffnut, just to keep her reflexes in shape, Astrid was finally sliding into a cool tub of water.

She sighed as she unwound her hair from its tight plait, the heavy weight of it now floating over her shoulders where the ends dangled in the water, only the slightest bit damp from sweat.

She glanced at Ruffnut, who was growling at her tangled braids as she dragged her fingers through the knots. Her usual scowl had dissipated for something gentler – here, where it was completely male-free, especially of her brother. Astrid thought she looked a lot prettier that way, when she wasn't worrying about appearances.

Astrid closed her eyes and sank deeper into the tub, until the cold water went up her nose, over her eyelids, and tickled her scalp. She exhaled through her nose, the water feeling amazing. Astrid could feel Ruffnut looking at her in mirth, and then Astrid broke through to the surface more completely, wiped the water out of her eyes and sighed in pleasure.

"So who won?" It was a rhetorical question, but Ruffnut still responded, "_I _did, of course." Then she snorted and started rubbing soap onto a rough rag.

Astrid reached for one of her own, scrubbing off the dirt on her arms and legs. "No, I'm pretty sure that _I _did."

"Yeah, right. I'm the best."

"I don't think you can prove it."

"Well," snarked Ruffnut, "we didn't kill each other, at least."

Astrid laughed softly, letting the water swish over her skin, and nearly jumped out of the water as another voice came from the doorway, "Well, that's an improvement."

Instinctively, Astrid crossed her arms over her chest and, frightened for her modesty, squeezed her legs so tight they felt more like stone than her own aching muscles.

"Hiccup!" she shouted.

"Astrid," he said anxiously, and she could imagine his eyes open in fear. "I'm not here to spy on you! Really, I'm not! I have a perfectly logical explanation-"

Gritting her teeth, Astrid closed her eyes, sank deeper into the tub so only her forehead could be seen, and rolled them underneath her lids in anger.

"Oh," she hissed, feeling quite deranged, "It had better be a good one, dragon boy."

She could hear him wince and begin to scramble for his lost track. "It's just…"

"Hiccup," groaned Ruffnut, effectively cutting him off. Astrid glanced at her, and saw her eyes blazing and gleaming like fiery pearls as she laid her head against the back of the tub, muscles and cords in her neck sticking up in sharp relief as she tried to reconcile herself with the ordeal she was in. "Get. Out. Now," growled the girl, her face heated in embarrassment, even though Hiccup wasn't visible. "If this is some stupid plot by my stupid brother and you're the bait, _leave._"

Astrid could discern understanding in this: perhaps Snotlout and Tuffnut had somehow managed to get Hiccup to stay there, arouse the rage of two violated, battle-hyped females, and lure them out in towels where the duo would be waiting. Only two things fell out of this plan: Hiccup would have never willingly agreed to it; although he'd been more gullible and easily trapped in situations like this when they were younger, now he had Toothless and no one [intelligent] bothered him. Then again, she wasn't sure how Snotlout had ever figured out how to tie his shirt closed. The other was that Hiccup wasn't _doing _anything. In fact, she couldn't even see him.

"Hiccup," she said slowly, curiously, "Where exactly are you?"

His answer was a low mumble. "I'm not…watching you…it's just…that I can't leave… I'm… um…I'm in the doorframe…"

"_Why would you sit in a doorframe_?" Astrid asked incredulously.

Hiccup sighed. "It wasn't my first choice," he admitted.

The way the bathhouse was arranged was the door led directly into a wall – with hooks and rocks to place the bathers' belongings on, and then off to the right was the corner of the structure, then to the left of that was several indents in the earth filled with water at the women's leisure. So, technically, _technically_, Hiccup shouldn't be able to see her, but she didn't relax. She didn't think he would invade her privacy, but if he was somehow involved with the other boys she didn't want to provoke anyone.

"So," she prompted.

"So," she could imagine him scowling as he spoke. "Tuffnut and Snotlout decided for no reason at all they wanted to punish me today. Who knows. The point is, I can't get up, they wanted me here to make you angry, and-" he stumbled over his words, "You'd come out…not properly dressed and take your anger out on me while they get to watch."

Astrid, ever a girl of action, brusquely said, "Why can't you get up?"

He muttered something bitter like, "Thytkmlg," and she grimaced. "I'll be out in a minute," she said piercingly as the unfairness of the situation – for Hiccup, of course, Astrid never felt sorry for _herself, _she did something about it – caught up with her.

She sank under the water tensely, then scrubbed her scalp and hair in a frenzy of bubbles and cold water. Ruffnut stared at her as she emerged spluttering, clawing the thick blonde sheet off her face and gasping for air.

"Breathe much, Astrid?" she grinned. "I could do without a bath." She began to wrap her hair in towels, squeezing streams of liquid out, causing them to slide down her skin and into the water. "Let's go see what this is about!"

Astrid widened her eyes as a warning, and motioned toward the direction of Hiccup. Ruffnut leaned closer to her, and she whispered quickly, "I don't want you to embarrass him. Obviously they did something like make him stuck so he can't get up, and he's a guy, so…"

Ruffnut laughed at least twice as loud as Astrid had spoken. "It's not my fault you chose the smallest guy on the island to be your boyfriend. If he's so embarrassed, he deals with the consequences."

Astrid's eyebrows drew together in intense, calculated rage. "I'll remember that."

Quietly, without letting her eyes leave Ruffnut's sneering face, she exited the bath, dried herself quickly, and pulled on her clothes, the dragon head brooches digging comfortingly against her skin. She'd thought about discarding them for another shape; perhaps a human skull like Hiccup had, but they were heirloom and she wasn't going to throw away the history of her culture.

Then she braided her hair so tightly it pulled painfully on her head. With a glare at Ruffnut she pushed her headband on, so tense no hair slipped out from under it, the chunky bangs fluttering up behind it. If anything, it made her feel more powerful, vicious.

And she'd make him _pay._ Pay for interrupting her bath, pay for the fight with Ruffnut, pay for her anger, and most of all pay for whatever he'd done to her boyfriend.

She stormed out, and saw the doorframe, then almost tripped over Hiccup in her haste to get through it. With his arms crossed, one foot braced against one side of the frame, his back up against the other, head down, his left leg, his bad leg, on the opposite side, facing outside. It was true – from this position she couldn't see anything in the direction of the baths.

"Hiccup!" she squawked, catching her balance by throwing an arm up. "You really _are _sitting in the doorframe!"

"Exactly where I said I was," he frowned. "Don't _fall_ on me."

"Well," aggravated, she backed up a step. "I didn't expect you to be in the _doorway of the women's bathhouse!_"

His face turned red and he coughed, eyes wide. "Uh-"

"What _happened _to _you_?" He didn't want to answer, she could tell.

"It's just… could you get…my…" from experience, Astrid knew not to rush him, eventually he would disclose his trouble. He whispered the last word in the wrong direction, so she barely caught it.

"What?"

He turned back toward her, looking down. "Leg," he mumbled, miserably. "Could you get my leg?"

Astrid stumbled back, cheeks burning, tears welling in her eyes. She blinked them away quickly – she couldn't show she was sorry for him. But still, the seriousness of this injury was only just starting to sink in to her – she'd predicted clumsiness and helplessness during the first few months while he learned to walk again, and now she was realizing he'd never be able to be the person he once was, that she'd forever be helping him.

She didn't mind.

But she really wished he wasn't so susceptible to whatever an able-bodied teenager wanted. As long as Toothless was out of earshot, which brought up the question of where was he?

"Your…your leg? Why?" she couldn't help but be scared. She didn't like talking about it, she didn't like thinking about it, and she didn't like being scared. So she hated his leg, she hated his disability, and she hated whoever would subject him to anything like this. Hiccup glared at her, then shifted his left leg to show where his pant leg tied off, short.

"Because Snotlout took it, okay?" snapped Hiccup, uncharacteristically vicious. He was so weak and small and adorable. "My stupid, big, brute of a cousin got mad at me because of my personality and when Tuffnut and Snotlout decide to team up on me I can't do a thing about it! And because Toothless is in the patch of dragon nip and I didn't have the heart to bring him home earlier! All right? You satisfied already? Can you just _get my leg_?"

Chastised, Astrid ducked her head and asked as quietly as she could and still hope to make herself heard, "Where?"

He gestured vaguely with his head back into the bathhouse, and slowly, movements jerky and awkward, she headed back in, trying to hide whatever emotion. She felt along the walls. She swept her burning gaze over every inch of the floor. Ignoring Ruffnut, who was snorting from the bath still, she even threw off her boots, pushed up her leggings, and felt all along the bottom and sides of the baths.

Nothing.

Exasperated, Astrid swung her legs out of the water, kicked her boots away from her, and laid on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"Uh…Astrid, did you find it?" Hiccup's nervous voice hovered at the edge of her hearing, and she blocked him out.

_If I were trying to incapacitate Hiccup, I would put his leg… where? If I were trying to incapacitate Hiccup and make him look stupid for my amusement while doing it, I would probably put it somewhere Hiccup can't reach without it…and somewhere Toothless can't fit._

It was a quick stroke of understanding, and Astrid cast her eyes upward. The ceiling and walls were connected and held by beams of thick wood, strong enough to support the house's weight, along with – Astrid knew from experience – all but the largest of dragons.

And that would be where Snotlout would have put Hiccup's leg. Where he couldn't reach, especially since he couldn't walk. With wrathful eyes, Astrid slowly, slowly sat up straight. Her hair dripped icicles down her back, and her blood began to boil.

With stiff motions, Astrid pulled on her boots, her face fixed into a scowl. Then, feeling along the top of the beam closest to the door, where Hiccup watched curiously, with no avail. She moved on to the next with patience. Nothing. It wasn't until she reached the beam directly over the baths between where she and Ruffnut had been bathing that she felt something.

It was heavier than she had expected, the wood worn smooth, the metal shined, with occasional nicks and treads along the bottom, the spring strong against the weight of her palm. She picked it up and lifted it down, then gulped, shrinking mentally from the idea of anyone having to lug it around all the time.

Then she dropped it.

It clattered against the ground, and she jumped. Hiccup called from the entrance, and she responded ashamed, picking it up more carefully this time, gripping the iron with fingers unwilling to let go. Then, walking briskly, Astrid arrived at the door, crouched, placed the leg next to Hiccup, then got up and turned to the side, leaning against the doorframe to give Hiccup privacy.

Then he staggered to his feet, reaching down to move a fold in his pant leg to make it more comfortable, and grinned at her.

"Well, I'm going to…um, go," he said awkwardly, looking down, and set off at a run up the hill his house was on, behind which would be wherever Toothless was.

She watched him go, her vision tinged with sadness as she detected his almost – almost, by now – unnoticeable limp as he struggled uphill, and then he stopped, took it off, and readjusted it. It might have made a lesser girl cry, but it made Astrid mad.

And Astrid wasn't going to let it go.

No, Astrid, instead, capitalized on Hiccup's absence – he wouldn't be back for at least a half hour – and raced to her house.

It was empty, she let herself in, grabbed her axe from the wall. It felt familiar and good in her hand after so long apart, and she reminded herself she would have to practice, still.

Then, holding it with both hands, one near the top, one near the bottom, so she could better throw it sideways or swing it, she banged out of her house and stormed into the middle of the village.

"SNOTLOUT!" she cried. "Get out here, coward."

Someone peeked around the edge of her house, she could only glimpse a vague shape in her peripheral. She let go of the axe, sending it spinning in their direction.

She knew she'd failed when the loud, girlish shriek alerted her it was only Fishlegs.

She strode over to him, grabbed the hilt of her axe, and yanked it out of the solid wood of her house. The large boy was crouching an inch below it.

She growled at him. "Where. Is. Snotlout," she ground out. Whimpering, the oversized child pointed to a juncture between houses, and someone swore.

"Great job, butt-elf," yelled Tuffnut, and then she was on them, screaming, her axe over her head as it should be, her arms aching with the familiar feeling of battle.

"C'mon, Astrid," shouted Snotlout back at her, trying to jog uphill backward. She smiled savagely, and he stumbled by himself, continuing a constant stream of conversation. "You know that weakling doesn't deserve you, you know you should just kick him down like the rest of us, you know you should be with someone more worthy-"

She cut him off, mouth set and clenched. "Obviously. Someone like you, Snotlout?" she suggested innocently. "Someone who exploits weaknesses in smaller opponents, someone who tries to invade a woman's privacy, someone who _takes helpless people's replacement limbs?_"

His smile dropped off his face, like he only just realized the source of her wrath.

"Don't do it again."

To punctuate her meaning, Astrid let him fall to her feet because of the steepness of the hill, then slammed the end of her axe into his head. His eyes unfocused, and then he crawled upward while she looked on. Tuffnut looked at her warily, then turned tail and ran away, leaving him at her mercy.

"Uh. I'm sorry, Astrid," groaned Snotlout. Astrid made her eyes as cold as she could, then said, already preparing to run off, "No you're not. Apologize to_ him_."

Then he ran away.

She was surprised. But sat down, pleased with herself and her ferocity, proud of the job she'd done.

And then she noticed the sound of mismatched footsteps slowly fading away.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, no," Astrid whispered to herself. "Hiccup!"

He didn't answer. She didn't know what she'd done wrong, but if she didn't go after him he'd never tell her.

She jumped to her feet, and after a moment's hesitation, stuck her axe in the ground. She didn't want to look threatening.

She ran after him.

She didn't know where he'd go for certain, but she had a good guess. She figured he was smarter than that, to tempt her on purpose by going to the one place she would find him, but maybe… maybe he _wanted _to be found.

Her arms pumped at her sides, and her legs moved without stopping as she raced through the forest, dodging tree trunks, her boots digging into the soft earth. Even if Hiccup had two sound legs he wouldn't have been able to outrun her. No one could outrun her.

It was within minutes, therefore, that Astrid, gasping and breathing through her nose hard, arrived at one of the numerous entrances to the cove. But she waited, standing behind a tree, waiting for Hiccup to appear.

She didn't have to wait long. A minute passed, and he stormed forward, batting away the limb of a tree, stopping, and ducking for a second, then resuming his angered march. He limped noticeably, pain showing in the way he moved, the way he held himself.

He reached the opening he had most often let himself in – even after lodging the shield in it – and kicked at the ground, tried to balance on the fake leg, and promptly fell over.

Growling to himself, he managed to get to his feet and walked over – cautiously – to the shield. He fingered the edges, giving it a sharp tug with both hands, but it refused to give. Then he crouched, with a conscious effort, and slipped under the shield.

He slapped the shield from the other side, muttering, which caused Astrid to believe it was something he'd once done with ease. Then he looked up, met her eyes, and this time she was the one to run away.

Her braid bounced after her and she ran as fast as she could, despite the danger of turning an ankle in the rocky landscape or slipping and falling down a hill. She would not be stopped. She felt invincible. She cleared the woods, threw herself down, rolled covertly and snatched her axe out of the ground, and without a moment's stop, turned and sprinted back the way she came.

It was momentum, and adrenaline, then, that powered Astrid, screaming like she was trying to kill something, to leap into the air and allow herself to crash forward – axe first – directly into the roundshield. It shattered, the metal rim splitting into a few pieces, the wood scattering everywhere, the metal top spinning into the cove. Satisfied, Astrid ran forward, threw down her axe, and ran directly into Hiccup, who looked astonished.

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I came," panted Astrid, her energy fading after her headlong rush, "To fix things."

He scowled. "That's going to be more complicated than you think."

"I figured."

"Well, I'm glad to know that," Hiccup amended sarcastically, "But _if _you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone."

Astrid glowered at him.

"Why are you mad at me, Hiccup?" she asked, hard at first, sighing by the end.

He scowled. "Well, let's see, shall we." She braced herself.

"My idiot cousin hates me and probably thinks he deserves 'heroism' more than I do. So he and Tuffnut decided they'd put me in a very bad position. See, they saw you two coming down the hill, and wrenched my prosthetic leg off forcibly, which would be why I'm in extreme pain right now. Then they put it somewhere in there, and you two went in, and got in the baths. Then they dragged me – and I'm not a match for either of them ordinarily, but legless I was completely helpless – and put me in the doorway. And I _cannot _walk without the leg, and I also _cannot _crawl, either. So I was stuck, and they wanted you two to get mad at me and they would get to see while you weren't dressed properly."

Astrid registered the immense violation this encounter must have cost Hiccup, because he didn't stop in his explanation at that point, or even redden in the slightest.

"But I'm a bit smarter than them," he scowled. "So I asked for help in the beginning. And _then_, after everything was going to be all right, you had to go beat them up for me, like I can't take care of them myself."

"You can't, Hiccup," said Astrid, whine and sigh mixed into her voice. It was almost like a lament. "You're still recovering, and you can't take care of them. You just admitted it."

"Well, do me a favor and let me deal with them!" Hiccup burst out, his arms flying up, his hands rubbing through his hair in agitation. "Let me get rid of them, they didn't do much of _anything _to you! _I _was the target, they're just jealous of all the attention I've been getting! _I don't really care._ But even if I did, I would get my _extremely _scary Night Fury to protect me!" Hiccup sat down quickly, his head bent.

Astrid took a step back.

She inhaled quickly, counted to fifteen even quicker, then let it out in a fast whoosh. Hiccup glanced up at her out of the corner of his eye, crouched as he was.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, great."

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "What else do you want me to say?"

This threw Hiccup off a little. He scowled, and mumbled, "Oh, I don't know. Acknowledge I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself?" the end was hopeful, and she knew he was finally getting over it.

"I'm sorry I underestimated you," lied Astrid easily. She hadn't underestimated Hiccup. He could only do what he was able to, and that did not involve fighting or defending himself. With physical power, he did was face value.

"You still don't believe me," he contradicted. "You don't think I can do anything." Now he was whining? Astrid's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you _moping_?" she asked incredulously. "Are you seriously moping because I smacked Snotlout around? Don't think _that _highly of yourself. Maybe, do you think I could have hit him because _I _wanted to? Because he interrupted my bath? Because he wanted to see me and Ruffnut in towels?" she was pushing him, and she knew it.

He smiled a little.

"Friends?" They were more than friends, but she wasn't about to go there.

This time, she was rewarded with a smirk.

"Of course, friends."

"Then maybe you should go take care of Snotlout."


	3. Chapter 3

Hiccup was actually enjoying himself, this she could see. They crouched together behind his house, just out of view of the village, but still able to see Snotlout bragging of his 'success' to Ruffnut and Fishlegs.

Astrid shot Hiccup a small smile, and his eyes narrowed, focused in response.

"G-go!" he whispered hesitantly. Quietly, Astrid backed up a few steps, then ran forward.

She was getting ready, tensing her muscles as the landscape flew by. She ran like there was a dragon chasing her, and only stopped when she flew over a ridge in the land, stumbling forward and landing at the feet of her comrades, hunched over, hands braced on her thighs.

"Whoa, Astrid, what are _you _running from?" Tuffnut asked curiously, standing on his toes to see past her. She panted in response.

"Whew," she dramatized, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Ruffnut, I have to…I have to talk to you."

Triumphantly, Ruffnut stepped a few feet away, even though Tuffnut and Snotlout were still trying to see what they were doing.

"I know what you're going to say, Astrid, and I wanted you to know you don't have to apologize-"

Ruffnut's self-appreciative smile was too much.

"Oh, well that's good," cut off Astrid. "Because I wasn't going to apologize."

Ruffnut glared at her.

Astrid continued.

"You do know what happened earlier, right?"

Ruffnut continued to glare at her, but shook her head.

"Well, that was Snotlout and your brother…." In short, simple words the vengeful twin would understand, Astrid explained what they had done to Hiccup, and, by extension, Astrid and Ruffnut.

Within two minutes, Ruffnut was in.

Now came the fun part.

Astrid didn't watch this part, because Deadly Nadders just weren't built to do the sort of acrobatics Night Furies were.

So instead she watched from the ground, all while talking to Fishlegs. Looking back on it, she couldn't remember the conversation…but it may have involved sheep.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is quickly becoming my favorite story. I'd intended it to be a little oneshot with lots of Hiccup/Astrid fluff, with him having a conversation at the end about beating up his problems, but my computer deleted what I'd had.**

**Now I'm kind of glad, because I was able to remake the story beautifully, and it just kept wanting me to keep writing; so, after this chapter there's two more. Enjoy!**

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><p>Sometimes Hiccup was really glad he had Toothless. Definitely, someone could say he earned the best dragon, deserved him, but Hiccup knew and was grateful that Toothless truly cared for him.<p>

But his speed, intelligence and somewhat mischievous nature weren't bad, either. After all, there'd been nothing Hiccup could do to get him to stop when he'd punished Astrid.

And this time, Hiccup was going to put Snotlout in his place. Maybe not directly, but it would happen, if everything fell according to plan.

And Hiccup was good at making plans. Especially fiendishly clever ones.

He patted Toothless on the side of his neck, gently steering them downward. They slipped soundlessly out of the clouds, Hiccup scanning the airspace below them for their target.

Toothless spotted them first, and it was all Hiccup could do to follow his momentum and keep hold while Toothless dove down.

There, illuminated by the glittering water, glowing from the sunset, were the two they were trying to find. Hookfang, Snotlout's Monstrous Nightmare, and Snotlout himself.

Smiling, Hiccup urged Toothless even faster, until they were only a black blur. They shot past Snotlout without him noticing.

"Snotlout!" whispered Hiccup as they swooped below him. "Snotlout!"

"Whuh-" Snotlout unseated himself, swiveling frantically, trying to find the source of the noise. "Who's there!" Beneath him, Hookfang jerked and spun, trying to follow Snotlout's weight so he wouldn't be thrown off.

The only answer was the wind.

Hiccup chuckled quietly. They would wait, now, until Snotlout convinced himself that he'd imagined it. It only took ten minutes. Hiccup noticed this as his cousin's shoulders slumped easily, and he began to enjoy the ride again.

Now Hiccup had Toothless spiraling, trying his best to be quiet while he wanted to whoop and yell with pleasure. Instead, Toothless sped downward so fast it was almost sure they would crash, and at the last second – Hiccup rather thought they were playing with fire, testing the tailfin like this – pulled up within a foot of Snotlout, so his hair ruffled and he yelped.

By the time he thought to look upward, Hiccup and Toothless were invisible in the clouds.

And then, before he collected his wits, Toothless raced, screaming into view. Hiccup shouted, "SNOTLOUT!" but Toothless was already out of reach, only a glimpse of the reptile had been seen.

Safely underneath Hookfang, Toothless swooped with ease from one side of the dragon to the other.

"Who's there!" cried Snotlout in panic.

"It is I," grumbled Hiccup as deeply as he could without coughing. His eyes widened as he tried to silently clear his throat. "Thor."

Snotlout was so unsettled he didn't question this, and instead squeaked, "Wh-what do you want from me?"

Hiccup smirked and continued, "I don't want to catch you bothering that Haddock boy again."

This surprised Snotlout. No wonder, he probably thought he was being rewarded. "Wh-why? What did I do wrong? He was – he was asking for it! He doesn't belong!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "That may be, but the Night Fury won't be too pleased when he finds out. I was under the impression you liked to be _un_burned, Snotlout Jorgenson."

Snotlout nodded enthusiastically, likely remembering the time he'd tangled with a Terrible Terror when they were children and he'd been burned so badly his skin had turned cherry red. "Yes, sir! I- I won't ever do anything to Hiccup ever again! I promise!"

"Good," whispered Hiccup, urging Toothless downward. "I'll be watching."

Hiccup had a feeling Snotlout wouldn't be bothering him for a while, but there was plenty more to the plan, just to make sure.


	5. Chapter 5

***Giggles for no apparent reason*. Hello! Again. I hope you enjoy. This is the last 'chapter', there's one more with only 200 words (pathetically short, I know) really just to tie up loose ends; eg, why Snotlout seems relatively okay with Hiccup (as compared to snarky comments from the early bits of the movie) in Gift of the Night Fury. Enjoy with popcorn at your leisure.**

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><p>It was Hiccup's idea they for them to go flying in a thunderstorm.<p>

Even if the planned part worked perfectly, there was some riding on chance that he was hoping for.

He climbed on Toothless, his leg hooked in safely, reassuringly. He smirked. If anything, he could guarantee _he _wouldn't be falling off, even if it was just because if he fell, Toothless would too….or that he was physically locked in by one of his limbs, no matter if it was removable…

Beside him, Astrid swung onto Stormfly, grinning down at him. He glanced to the other side, and true to the plan, Ruffnut pushed Tuffnut back, shouting. The two contributed to a tussle that everyone ignored until Ruffnut was thrown backward onto the Zippleback and tried to get it to take off. Cursing, Tuffnut grabbed a horn and ended up upside down as the Zippleback threw its heads trying to knock the twins off. They screamed and kicked at each other with the Zippleback desperately tried to separate them.

Good.

Fishlegs, the only one completely ignorant [or untargeted] looked perplexedly down at them (Hiccup was beginning to notice that Toothless lacked in height compared to almost every other dragon) but didn't say anything.

Good.

And Snotlout was nervously fastening his harness onto Hookfang. Of all of them, Meatlug, Hookfang, and the Zippleback (still, Ruffnut and Tuffnut couldn't decide on a name) seemed least eager to go into the storm.

On the other hand, Toothless was itching to get into the air, making noises at Hiccup and motioning to the sky.

"In a sec, bud," murmured Hiccup. He made eye contact with Astrid, and she nodded. Hiccup patted Toothless and they were going up.

Toothless' tail pumped up and down, propelling them higher, and Hiccup adjusted himself to the wind and speed – they'd only gone flying in a storm once or twice, but it was the pinnacle of exhilaration.

He looked back, making sure the tailfin wasn't being ripped by the tearing winds, and satisfied with its performance, steered Toothless into a roll so he could see the others.

Stormfly was gliding along under the clouds smoothly, with Astrid on her back like she was born to be there. The others weren't so at ease – Snotlout was jumping every few seconds, Ruffnut was still trying to beat Tuffnut, and Fishlegs was looking on, as if trying to figure out what he'd missed.

And Toothless was high above them all, only a shadow in the dark sky.

Perfect.

And it got even more perfect when he heard the noise.

It was subtle at first, like the rustling of dry stone, until Hiccup could see its silhouette only feet from them. Hiccup grinned.

Then dove.

It was Ruffnut's turn now – her shout rose above the clamor of, "Let me drive!" and she wrenched her head away from Tuffnut's. The Zippleback swerved, Tuffnut dangling, into Hookfang. Hookfang banked, trying desperately to stay aloft, and Astrid yanked Stormfly over him, as if trying to help.

Instead, she grabbed the horn of Snotlout's helmet and threw it into empty space.

Toothless shot downward, past the helmet, then turned suddenly, his tail smacking it back the way it came.

Then the bolt of lightning screamed through the sky. It was white-hot, and filled the air with heat and electricity as it arced toward the helmet, just as Hiccup knew it would.

It struck the middle of the helmet, causing it to light up and glow. Electricity shot to each horn, spiraling and shooting off into the air, causing Hiccup to taste burning metal. He grinned.

"MY HELMET!" yelled Snotlout, reaching desperately for the shining hat.

Hiccup drew level with Astrid, who smirked and brushed back her hair. "Think that did it?"

"Oh yeah. He's totally convinced Thor's out to get him. I think what you pulled on him the other day was a good setup, plus the Skrill….I don't think he's ever heard of it anyway. It was great."

"You think he needs any more?"

Astrid evaluated the flailing boy with a careful eye.

"As long as we pretend we don't know anything about it, a few generic reminders should do the trick."

Hiccup smiled, and Snotlout managed to slam the still-warm helmet onto his head.

All the way back, even through the wind, Hiccup could smell the burning of his flesh.

His idiot cousin was too stubborn to take it off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Last chapter! I'm so excited. It's very short - this whole story originated as a oneshot, and now look at it! I had to split it up. Review if you wish, and enjoy!**

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><p>For at least a week Snotlout was jumpy, Hiccup noticed. Every time someone walked up to him he'd leap a foot in the air and twitch like the electricity had short-circuited his nervous system.<p>

And better yet, he didn't have one snarky comment or mean smile, the only thing he did to Hiccup for at least three weeks was pat him on the back condescendingly.

Hiccup could see right through that, but, in truth, he didn't know if Thor (as if he had actually reprimanded him) would have been able to see the difference between Snotlout's usual aggressive affection he used for the twins and Snotlout's reserved smack on the back he saved for Hiccup every day.

There were a few reasons he would do that. One being Hiccup was not able to retain his balance after being almost pushed down…the other being Hiccup wouldn't do anything about it.

As far as Snotlout knew.

But then again, Snotlout never did find out about Hiccup's trick with Thor and the lightning.

And as far as the only thing he did was pat him in a way that could pass off for acceptable (especially in a Viking village) Hiccup wouldn't do anything.

For now.


End file.
